Weekend Sherpa: Napa's Table Rock Trail, a Little Hike With Big Views

For a little hike with big views, pack the wine and cheese and head for Table Rock Trail in northern Napa's Robert Louis Stevenson State Park. The shaded trail rises moderately for 1 mile before reaching an overlook with pop-up-book vistas of green hills and vineyard-latticed valleys, not to mention the Mayacamas Mountain Range. Simply sit back and savor the views or scramble over and around the overlook's Volkswagen-sized boulders before returning the way you came. Afterwards, visit one of the best mom and pop wineries in Napa—Vincent Arroyo. While many boutique Napa wines start at $50 a bottle, Vincent Arroyo's prices average in the low $30s. The two resident black labs, JJ and Bodega, will welcome you to this off-the-beaten-path winery that's been making award-winning petite sirahs since the early '80s. Vincent Arroyo tastings are generally by appointment, but don't let that stop you—they happily welcome drop-ins, too.

TIP: Hikers with good shoe-traction and plenty of water can continue another 1.3 miles to the trail's namesake destination—Table Rock, a high-in-the-sky exposed flatbed of granite and giant rocks with 360-degree views. (Be forewarned: Trail markings are sparse.)

For directions and more information on hiking Napa click the link. Subscribe to Weekend Sherpa's free weekly email about accessible outdoor adventures in Northern California.